(New York, NY) The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index rose for the second consecutive month in January. The Index now stands at 97.3 (1985=100), up nearly three points from 94.6 in December. The Expectations Index rose from 92.4 to 96.9. The Present Situation Index remained unchanged at 97.8.

(Paramus, NJ) Toys "R" Us, Inc. today announced a series of steps designed to enhance its future cash flow and operating earnings. The company plans to close 37 Kids "R" Us stores and 27 non-Mission Possible format Toys "R" Us stores, eliminate 1,900 store and headquarters positions, and consolidate its store support center facilities as part of its continuing strategic efforts to enhance profitability and concentrate its financial resources on those formats and stores that are most productive.  

(Dayton, OH) The Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. Board of Directors has appointed Byron ``Bud'' Bergren, age 55, to serve as the company's president and chief executive officer, reporting to the new non-executive chairman of the board, Steven C. Mason, beginning February 11, 2002. Bergren will also serve as a director of the company.

(Greensboro, NC) Commenting on today's Chapter 11 filing by Kmart Corporation, VF Corporation, the world's largest apparel company, said it expects no material impact on its financial results related to its current receivables position with Kmart.

(Troy, MI) Kmart Corporation announced today that, in order to aggressively address the financial and operational challenges that have hampered its performance, the Company and 37 of its U.S. subsidiaries have filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In its filings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in Chicago, the Company indicated that it will reorganize on a fast- track basis and has targeted emergence from chapter 11 in 2003.

(Paramus, NJ) Toys "R" Us, Inc. announced today its sales results for the 2001 holiday selling season. Total sales increased 4%, to $4.3 billion for the nine-week period ended January 5, 2002 compared to $4.1 billion for the nine-week period ended January 6, 2001.

(Hoffman Estates, IL) Sears, Roebuck and Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alan J. Lacy today said the company expects to see earnings per share increase 13 to 15 percent in 2002. 

(Dodgeville, WI) Lands' End, Inc., the direct merchant of classically styled apparel and home furnishings, today reported results for the nine-week holiday period ended December 28, 2001, compared with the eight-week holiday period ended December 22, 2000.

(Toronto) Sears Canada today announced its December revenues. Total revenues for the five-week period ended December 29, 2001 were $913.6 million compared to $928.4 million for the same period last year, a decrease of 1.6%. Merchandise sales decreased 1.6%. Same store sales decreased 3.5%.

(Jackson, MI) Jacobson Stores Inc. today said it has obtained authorization from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to use cash collateral through January 26, 2002.

(Shrewsbury, NJ) Wellman, Inc. today announced that it expects to report earnings for the fourth quarter 2001 below analysts' expectations.

(Floral Park, NY) The following retailers reported sales results for the month of September 2001. The table below compares these results to last year's numbers for each company.   

(Secaucus, NJ) The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. today announced record sales of $98.8 million for the five-week period ended January 5, 2002, a 13% increase over sales of $87.3 million reported for December 2000. Total sales for December increased 26% over the restated five-week period ended January 6, 2001. Comparable store sales for the five-week period increased 2% as compared to a 6% decrease for the restated five-week period ended January 6, 2001. Excluding sales of the Yaak folding scooter, comparable store sales for December increased 7% from the prior year period.

(Burlingame, CA) The Gymboree Corporation reported that sales for the five-week period ended January 5, 2002, were $66.9 million, a decrease of 2% from sales of $68.2 million for the same period last year. Comparable store sales for the five-week period increased 8%. Comparable store sales for December of the previous year were 45%.

(Washington) The economy will begin to recover in the first quarter of 2002, according to the National Retail Federation's (NRF) Chief Economist Rosalind Wells in the latest edition of the Retail Sales Outlook newsletter.

(Columbus, OH) The current economic environment has consumers pulling back some of their spending. In addition, they don't see the economy returning to normal until the second half of 2002, and many have changed some buying behaviors since September 11. That's according to the Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey conducted by BIGresearch, which interviewed over 7,100 consumers between January 6-10th.

(Stockholm, Sweden) Turnover for the H&M Group increased in December 2001 by 10 percent compared with the corresponding period last year.

(Jackson, MI) Jacobson Stores Inc., a leading regional specialty store chain, today filed bankruptcy under Chapter 11 for reorganization with the United States Bankruptcy Court. The request was filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, in Detroit.

(Washington) As the weather turned more seasonal, consumers responded in kind, lifting total December retail sales 4.1 percent adjusted over the prior year, according to the latest data from the Commerce Department. In addition, November 2001 retail sales were revised higher, from an adjusted increase of 3.5 percent to 4.2 percent year-over-year.

(Washington) Standard & Poor's, a leading source for financial information and investment analysis said that the December 2001 U.S. retail sales figures released today adhered to a now familiar pattern for fourth quarter economic reports. Standard & Poor's noted that the information outpaced expectations, with broad-based surprises to the upside for most of the major spending components in both November and December.

(Washington) A new study by global media analysis firm CARMA imMEDIAte.com, LLC has found that American media showered widespread attention on the impact of the holiday shopping season on the country's retail sector. Throughout November, December and early January, the media reported heavily on one question: after a year in which the economy screeched to a halt, hundreds of thousands of workers were laid-off, and the country endured the first attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor, would the holiday shopping season be lucrative for America's nationwide retail chains?

(Secaucus, NJ) Planalytics Inc. today announced that specialty apparel retailer The Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. has signed an agreement to access Impact LR(TM), an Internet-based application that measures the specific effects of future weather on consumer demand by product, location, and time. The Children's Place will use Impact LR to help in planning store allocations and promotions for seasonal apparel, including swimwear, shorts, and outerwear.

(Huntington Beach, CA) Quiksilver, the world's leader in the design, production and distribution of clothing, accessories and related products for active-minded people has inked a deal to create the world's first virtual action sports television channel targeting the market with TVN Entertainment Corporation, the leading digital content licensing, programming, distribution, and management company.

(Cincinnati, OH) Federated Department Stores, Inc. announced today that it intends to dispose of the operations of its Fingerhut subsidiary.

(San Francisco, CA) Gap Inc. today announced that the company is forming separate Gap U.S. and International divisions to create a sharper focus on improving performance at its flagship brand. Ken Pilot, formerly head of Gap brand worldwide, will head the new International division and continue reporting to Gap Inc. President and CEO Millard Drexler, who will run Gap's U.S. business until a new president is named.

(New York) The January 13-15, 2002 edition of the International Kids Fashion Show has been cancelled.

(New York, NY) Nautica Enterprises, Inc. today reported sales and earnings for the third quarter and nine-months ended December 1, 2001.  

(Hoffman Estates, IL) Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s 2002 growth plans include opening 15 new full-line stores, including two new stores in North Carolina, one at the Southpoint Mall in Durham and a second at Triangle Town Center in Raleigh.

(Lexington, MA) With the introduction today of two new footwear brands, Kid Smart(TM) and Baby Smart(TM), available at U.S. Target stores in Spring 2002, Stride Rite Children's Group, Inc. continues fulfilling its multi-brand, multi-channel strategy of offering its extensive footwear expertise to premium, moderate and mass retailers. The creation of the Kid Smart and Baby Smart lines for the upscale discounter is Stride Rite's first entry into the mass retailer sector.

(Burbank, CA; Business Wire; Jan. 3, 2002) The following is Michael D. Eisner's letter to shareholders that appears in The Walt Disney Company 2001 Annual Report.

(Yonkers, NY) To get a quick take on some consumers' actual online shopping activities this past holiday season, ConsumerReports.org polled about 8,600 site visitors from Dec. 26, 2001 to Jan. 2, 2002. The informal poll found that 93% of respondents who had done some of their holiday shopping online were either ``Very Satisfied'' (51%) or ``Fairly Well Satisfied'' (42%) with their online holiday shopping experience.

(Dayton, OH) The Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. Board of Directors has appointed director Steven C. Mason to serve as interim president of the comp

any, reporting to the Board, beginning January 1, 2002. Mr. Mason will replace retiring chairman, president and chief executive officer, Frederick J. Mershad, as president until a new president and CEO is named and a transition can be effected.

(Dallas; Jan. 3, 2001) The Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. announced the following preliminary company-wide revenues:

(Cincinnati, OH & West Nyack, NY) Federated Department Stores, Inc. and Footstar, Inc., today announced that Footstar's Meldisco division will begin operating Federated's licensed children's shoe departments effective July 1, 2002. The 46 children's shoe departments, currently operated by Stride Rite, will be redesigned with open-sell fixtures and will introduce Federated's new Greendog private brand of children's shoes. Federated and Meldisco anticipate opening as many as 175 children's shoe departments over the next three years.

(Lexington, MA) The Stride Rite Corporation announced today that it will exit the 46 children's shoe department leased retail operations within Federated Department Stores effective May 1, 2002. The departments operate within Macy's and Rich's/Lazarus/Goldsmith's Divisions and constituted approximately $14 million in Stride Rite children's retail sales in 2001. The Company will recognize approximately $2 million in exit costs in fiscal 2001 related primarily to inventory markdowns.